Cigar and cigarette support



Sept. 10, 1929.. E. CALDWELL 1,727,582

CIGAR AND CIGARETTE SUPPORT Filed Feb. 29, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNEYS Sept. 10, 1929. E. CALDWELL 1,727,582

CIGAR AND CIGARETTE SUPPORT Filed Feb. 29, 1 924 '2 sheets-Sim] 2 I N V EN TOR.

5017/4 CWZDWA'ZZ A TTORNEYS Patented Sept. 10, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CIGAR AND CIGARETTE SUPPORT.

Application filed February 29, 1924. Serial No, 695,896.

This invention relates to smokers specialities or articles, and particularly to supports for cigars and cigarettes. An object of the invention is to provide an improved article of this type which may be readily applied to the usual types of ash trays or receptacles; by means of which cigars and cigarettes may be supported in such a manner that their ends which have been in, or are to be placed in, the

smokers mouth will not come in contact with any surface or article; which will support the cigar or cigarette with the burning end over the interior of the tray or receptacle; which Will permit the removal of the cigar or cigarette for further smoking; which will automatically extinguish the cigar or cigarette when the latter has burned into close proximity to the portion of the support in which it is gripped; with which danger of the cigar or cigarette being unintentionally released is avoided; which may be manufactured of wire in various forms and artistic designs; which may be readily removed from ash trays or receptacles to facilitate cleaning of the latter, and which will be simple and relatively inexpensive. jects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of several embodiments of the invention, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in claim.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a an of an ash tray with a wire support attached thereto and constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan of a tray with a wire support or bridge attached thereto and illustrat ing a further embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a sectionalelevation of the same taken substantially along the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section through a portion of the bridge or support of Figs. 3 and 4, with the section takensubstantially along the line 55 ofFig. 3; I

Fig. 6 is a plan of a tray with adouble Various other ob-.

bridge secured thereto and illustrating another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation ofthe same iaken substantially along the line 77 of Fig. 8 is a plan of a portion of a tray with a support attached thereto and illustrating another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation of the same;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the same looking at the end of the support;

Fig. 11 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a tray with a wire support secured thereon and illustrating a modification of the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 8 to 10;

Fig. 12 is a plan of a portion of a tray with a wire support thereon and illustrating a further embodiment of the invention;

gig. 13 is a sectional elevation of the same; an

Fig. 14 is a perspective of a portion of the tray with a wire support thereon and illustrating still another embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the ash tray or receptacle 1 as illustrated is of the type provided with a flange 2 around its open edge. A wire 3 has its ends welded together so as to form a closed loop and is bent upon itself to. provide eye portions 4 at its ends which may snap over diametrically opposite portions of the flange 2, with the periphery of the flange projecting slightly through each eye, by reason of its curvature. The intermediate portion of the wire is bent upwardly above the open face of the tray, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the eye portions at the ends will be at the ends of spring arms enabling them to be resiliently snapped over the periphery of the flange. Y

The stretches 5 of the wire between the looped ends run nearly or approximately parallel to, but slightly spaced from, one another, as shown in Fig. 1, the distance between them being slightly less than the diameter of a cigar or cigarette so that a cigar or cigarette C, shown in Fig. 2, may be inserted through an eye and then in a' direction lengthwise of the stretches 5 so as to be wedged bemo tween them and thus supported thereby. The stretches 5 of the wire are, at their central point, looped downwardly as at 6, and the space between the lower ends of the loops 6 is less than the space between the stretches so that the depending portions of the wire form: ing' the loops will converge and thus form between them a channel into which a cigarette such as shown by C may be forced, lighted end first, to be supported thereby. The metal wire forming the walls of the channel will conduct the heat from the lighted end which is forced therein and chill it below the temperature of combustion and thus extinguish the fire.

In Figs. 3 to 5, the wire 7 is formed into a closed loop as before, and the eyes 8 thereof at the ends, corresponding to the eyes a of Fig. 1, are bent angularly to the major part of the wire so as to form spring arms which may be snapped over the periphery of the flange 2 of the tray 1 in the manner explained in connection with Figs. 1 and 2. The stretches 9 of the wire between the loops or eyes 8 run approximately parallel with, but spaced from, one another as explained in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, so that a cigarette or cigar forced between the stretches 9 may be yieldingly gripped and supported over the open face of the tray as shown in Fig. 4.

The stretches 9 at their central parts are arcuately and oppositely bowed as at 1-0, and half round wires 11 are formed into U-shapes and dependingly supported from the bowed portions 10, with the planes of the U-shaped wires at substantially right angles to one another so as to form between both of the depending wires, a channel into which a cigar or cigarette may be forced endwise to be supported therefrom. The wires 11 converge to-' Wards their lower ends so that they form a converging channel for wedging the cigar or cigarette between them when the latter is forced therein as shown" by the cigarette C in Fig. 4'. If the cigar or cigarette is forced lighted end first into the depending channel and wedged therein, the metal of the wires 11 will conduct the heat from the burning end and chill it below the temperature of combustion and thus extinguish it.

'In Figs. 6 and 7 a double bridge is illustrated, with the two parts thereof extending crosswise of one another. One of the parts may comprise a bridge member such as is shown in Figs. 3 to 5 and is designated by the corresponding reference numerals used in Figs. 3 to 5. The other bridge part 12 is in the form of a closed wire loop with looped eyes 13 at the ends corresponding to the eyes 4 of Figs. 1 and 2 and the eyes 8 of. Figs. 3 to 5. he stretches 14 of the wire between the loops, run approximately parallel with one another and may or may not be spaced apart as in Fig. 9 for wedging a cigar or cigarette between them. The stretches 14 at a cigar or cigarette, so that a cigar or cigarette may be forced laterally of itself into the indentations 15 so as to be frictionally held therein with the cigar or cigarette extending over the open face of the tray.

Referring particularly to Figs. 8 to 10, the support is carried entirely by the flange at one side of the tray, and while extending over the upper face of the tray does not extend entirely thereacross. In this embodiment of the invention a wire 16 is doubled back upon itself so as to provide two parallel stretches slightly spaced apart, as shown in Fig. 8, and the free end portions of the wire 16 extend in the same direction, are doubled back upon themselves, as at 17, in the same manner to embrace and yieldingly grip the flange 2 of the tray 1, and the end sections 18 after gripping the flange along its under face are bent upon themselves so as to extend in opposite directions away from one another and lengthwise of the flange, as shown in Figs. 8 and 10. The end sections 18 are provided with small kinks 19, as shown in Fig. 10 which provide rocking surfaces engaging the under face of the flange, so as to prevent digging into or scratching of the under face of the flange by the ends of the sections 18 when the support is removed from the tray by grasping the end thereof pro ecting over the tray and rocking it over the supporting flange.

The stretches of the wire 16 over the open face of the tray intermediate of their ends are bent upwardly upon themselves to provide inverted U-shaped kinks 20 therein, and these U-shaped kinks diverge slightly from one another in an upward direction so that a upon itself as at 21, and the doubled back end is also bent angularly, as at 22, away from the body of the support so that,'if desired, the cigarette may be forced endwise into the channel formed between the body of the support, the doubled back portion 21 and the cross arm of the angularly bent end 22. The wedging of the end of a cigarette or cigarin this channel is shown in Fig. 9. I The cigarette or cigar may also at the same time be wedged between the upstanding kinks 20 as shown in Fig. 9.

In Fig. 11, a slight modification of this construction just described is illustrated. The support is similar to that shown in Fi s. 8 to 10, except that from the upstanding kin is 20 inwardly, the inner end of the support is bent so as to depend directly into the interior of the. tray and then back upon itself, as at 21, to provide the channel for receiving a cigarette or cigar, end first, as shown by the dot and dash lines in the drawing.

In Figs. 12 and 13, a further and simplified support is illustrated. In this embodiment a U-shaped wire 23 at the section adjacent its base or cross arm is doubled back upon itself as at 24, so as to form a spring clip for embracing and engaging the flange 2 of a tray, with the body of the support extending over the open face of the tray. The free ends of the support which extend over the open face of thetray are spaced apart a distance slightly less than the diameter of the cigarette or cigar to be supported, and the free end of each wire is doubled back upon itself, as at 25, Within its own vertical plane, so that when a cigarette or cigar is forced a between the arms of the support it will be gripped at each side by the double wire and thus be more securely supported. In order to facilitate the insertion of a cigar or cigarette the extreme inner ends of the arms of the support are made slightly divergent as at 26.

In Fig. 14 a support somewhat similar to that shown in Figs. 12 and 13 is illustrated, but the two arms 27 of the support are spaced apart to a greater extent than in Figs. 12 and 13, are bent upwardly as at 28, then toward one another as at 29, then downwardly and slightly concave as at 30, then toward one another as at 31, then downwardly as at 32 into contact with the bottom of the tray 1, then upwardly and away from each one another as at 33. The sections 28 to 33 are all preferably within the same vertical plane and the two sections 30 provide between them a space or slot into which a cigar may be wedged for support, the arms 27 and 30 springing apart to some extent to allow the cigar to be forced into the slot. In this manner the cigar will be securely supported so as to extend over the open face of the tray, and the ends thereof will not be in contact with any object or surface. The sections 32 and 33 of each half of the support are upwardly divergent so as to form a resilient wedge into which a cigarette may be forced and supported therefrom in a manner similar to that provided for in the other embodiments of the drawing.

In all of the embodiments of the invention which have been illustrated and described hereinbefore,.the supports for the cigars and cigarettes are formed entirely of bent wire. A cigar or cigarette, which is wedged into the indentations or spaces provided, will be yieldingly gripped and supported above the open face of the tray, and in case it is lighted, itwill burn only until it approaches into close proximity to the point of support, whereupon the wire support will conduct away the heat to such an extent that the burning tobacco will be chilled below the temperature of combustion and the cigar or cigarette thereby extinguished.

In case one desires to extinguish the cigar or cigarette quickly, it may be forced, lighted end first, into the converging channels provided in the supports, and the wires forming the channel will by their contact with the supported cigar or cigarette, chill the burning tobacco below the temperature of combustion and thus extinguish it. With such a construction a small cigar ora cigarette may be extinguished within a very few seconds after it is inserted into one of the converging channels. All of these supports may be sprung over the flange of a tray, and may be easily removed by anyone whenever it is desired, 01' to facilitate cleaning of the tray. Inasmuch as the supports are formed entirely of bent wire they may be formed inexpensively by machinery, and may be given a variety of forms and artistic designs, it being understood that those illustrated are merely examples and do not constitute all of the different forms or designs which may be employed.

It will be obvious that various modifications in the details and arrangements of parts, herein described and illustrated for the purpose of explaining the nature of the in vention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

I claim:

A cigar and cigarette support comprising a wire extending across an ash tray and looped at its ends to snap over the periphery of the tray and be supported therefrom, the intermediate portion of the wire having means to receive and extinguish a lighted cigar or cigarette.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my signature.

EDWIN CALDWELL. 

